A Decade of Trust — Meeting the Needs of the DoD

Mar 21, 2024
5 minutes
2102 views

The Department of Defense (DoD) is on a relentless mission to fortify its networks with a comprehensive, no-fail Zero Trust architecture. This approach demands robust security solutions that simultaneously navigate the complexities of classified environments (meeting FedRAMP and IL5 requirements) while keeping pace with the ever-evolving threat landscape.

At Palo Alto Networks, we understand the unique challenges faced by the DoD. We've been a trusted partner for over a decade, securing classified environments with solutions like Strata firewalls and Prisma Cloud. But, our commitment goes beyond individual products. We offer a comprehensive platformization approach that delivers unparalleled benefits in three key areas: consolidation, integration and acceleration.

Consolidation — One Platform, Maximum Coverage

Forget the days of managing a hodgepodge of security tools. Palo Alto Networks offers a unified Zero Trust platform that covers more of your needs than any other vendor. We focus on expanding the functionality of existing tools, eliminating the need for siloed products. Here's the proof: out of 132 core Zero Trust activities for the DoD, Palo Alto Networks addresses a staggering 118 through our products and integrations.

Want a recent example? Check out our free support for RFC-8784 post-quantum cryptography (PQC) on Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW). This industry-standard solution seamlessly integrates with your existing tools. From the ground up, our firewalls consolidate sensors on a single platform, providing app, user, content and device-ID visibility on top of IDS/IPS, URL filtering, DNS Security, IoT and SD-WAN. Bottom line, our solutions offer advanced security without additional complexity.

Integration — Working Together, Working Smarter

Imagine a security ecosystem where everything works together seamlessly. That's the power of the Palo Alto Networks platformization approach. Our products are designed to share information and collaborate effectively. Need to address multiple Zero Trust activities? No problem. Our tightly coupled platform and extensive third-party integrations ensure all the pieces work in concert.

We go beyond basic connections. Palo Alto Networks uses user, device, application, data and network (the pillars of Zero Trust) to deliver continuous security. This includes extensive collaboration with the cybersecurity community for crowdsourcing telemetry and proven integrations across all pillars. Our Cortex XSOAR platform – a security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) tool – provides the foundation for advanced integrations and workflows, automating complex tasks at machine speed. XSOAR’s marketplace provides playbook templates for day one integration with over 1,000 tools.

Acceleration — Faster Deployment, Faster Results

The DoD needs Zero Trust solutions that can be implemented quickly and effectively. Our approach allows for modular deployments, enabling you to build a strong foundation and add features rapidly. XSOAR's extensive library of prebuilt playbooks and integrations with most DoD cybersecurity tools further accelerates this process. This lets you focus on delivering capabilities faster and realizing your Zero Trust vision sooner.

The Power of Automation and AI

Threats are relentless, demanding a security environment that moves at machine speed. Palo Alto Networks leverages automation, orchestration and artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster your defenses. The Palo Alto Networks SOC ingests over 1 trillion events per month, nearly 40 billion per day, and intelligently groups and analyzes alerts, leaving SOC analysts to investigate an average of 65 alerts and one incident per day. These capabilities are in the DNA of every product we make, and leveraging them together delivers unparalleled cyber mission intelligence. Native integrations combined with our XSOAR platform transforms disparate tools into a unified ecosystem, allowing them to share data and respond to threats as one. This translates into significant reductions in mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR), freeing your team to focus on strategic initiatives.

Data Is King — Fueling Intelligent Security

AI thrives on relevant and comprehensive data. Palo Alto Networks is a data powerhouse, inspecting over a trillion flow logs daily. We have integrations with over 50 technology partners, which allow for sharing a vast pool of information to continuously improve our products. Combined with real-time data collected across your enterprise, this empowers you to make informed security decisions with speed and scale. Crowdsourced telemetry is the only way to achieve sophisticated anomaly detection and informed cyber mission intelligence.

Proven Experience, Unmatched Security

For over 10 years, Palo Alto Networks has been securing the DoD's most critical infrastructure. We've deployed over 30,000 Strata firewalls, managed over 300 million public-facing assets, and secured thousands of users with Prisma Access (IL5) ZTNA. Our XSOAR platform underpins all major DoD big data platforms, while Prisma Cloud Compute safeguards software factories. Most importantly, Palo Alto Networks solutions are deployed across every classified environment, including Impact Levels 5 and 6.

Beyond Products — Building a Secure Future

We don't just sell products; we collaborate on solutions. Palo Alto Networks actively participates in shaping Zero Trust standards with organizations like NIST, NSA and DISA. We are committed to providing the functionality and expertise needed to secure the DoD's future.

As the DoD continues on its Zero Trust journey, Palo Alto Networks stands ready to be your trusted partner. With our comprehensive platform approach, proven experience and unwavering commitment to innovation, we can help you achieve a more secure and efficient future.

Ready to discuss your Zero Trust strategy? Learn more about our Public Sector work and contact Palo Alto Networks today.


Subscribe to the Newsletter!

Sign up to receive must-read articles, Playbooks of the Week, new feature announcements, and more.